Electricity and energy - Revision history

Alex at 01:42, 21 March 2022

2022-03-21T01:42:09Z

Alex: Marked this version for translation

2021-02-08T19:57:46Z

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Alex at 19:57, 8 February 2021

2021-02-08T19:57:30Z

Alex at 19:30, 8 February 2021

2021-02-08T19:30:03Z

Alex: Marked this version for translation

2021-02-08T18:04:24Z

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Alex at 18:03, 8 February 2021

2021-02-08T18:03:48Z

Alex at 18:01, 8 February 2021

2021-02-08T18:01:57Z

Alex at 17:54, 2 January 2021

2021-01-02T17:54:39Z

Alex at 17:50, 2 January 2021

2021-01-02T17:50:14Z

Alex at 19:04, 31 December 2020

2020-12-31T19:04:49Z

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 <!--T:29-->
-'''Example 1:''' A cell phone is charging. It is connected to a 12V battery and there is 1A of current flowing. How much power is being consumed?
+'''Example 1:''' A cell phone is charging. It is connected to a 12 V battery and there is .5 A of current flowing. How much power is being consumed?
 <!--T:30-->

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:57, 8 February 2021
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	Electricity seems to be everwhere: flowing in our bodies to power our hearts, lightning is constantly striking the earth at roughly 100 strikes per second<ref name="lightning"> NOAA Lightning Flash Rate. https://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/lightning-flash-rate/</ref>, and nearly all of the factories and offices in the world use it. But it only seems to be everwhere as there continue to be nearly a billion people without access to electricity globally, primarily rural villages. The primary issue has always been that electricity was always produced in a few select locations and then distributed out from there in a system called the electrical grid to homes and businesses, which can be very expensive to expand. Despite not even reaching everyone on the planet, the electrical grid causes significant environmental damage that affect everyone.		Electricity seems to be everwhere: flowing in our bodies to power our hearts, lightning is constantly striking the earth at roughly 100 strikes per second<ref name="lightning"> NOAA Lightning Flash Rate. https://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/lightning-flash-rate/</ref>, and nearly all of the factories and offices in the world use it. But it only seems to be everwhere as there continue to be nearly a billion people without access to electricity globally, primarily rural villages. The primary issue has always been that electricity was always produced in a few select locations and then distributed out from there in a system called the electrical grid to homes and businesses, which can be very expensive to expand. Despite not even reaching everyone on the planet, the electrical grid causes significant environmental damage that affect everyone.

		+	<!--T:41-->
	PV systems can be used to solve both of these issue: a lack of access in many parts of the world and the pollution that is created by non-renewable forms of energy like coal. [[Special:MyLanguage/PV system types\|Grid-tied PV systems]] can be used to help reduce the environmental impacts of electricity use and [[Special:MyLanguage/PV system types\|stand-alone PV systems]] can help provide energy to areas where the grid doesn’t reach as they are able to produce, store and provide energy in the form of electricity even in the most remote locations.		PV systems can be used to solve both of these issue: a lack of access in many parts of the world and the pollution that is created by non-renewable forms of energy like coal. [[Special:MyLanguage/PV system types\|Grid-tied PV systems]] can be used to help reduce the environmental impacts of electricity use and [[Special:MyLanguage/PV system types\|stand-alone PV systems]] can help provide energy to areas where the grid doesn’t reach as they are able to produce, store and provide energy in the form of electricity even in the most remote locations.

@@ Line 82: / Line 82: @@
 <!--T:22-->
-'''Power (P)''' is a measurement of work done in a unit of time. How much electricity is being consumed, which is power, in an electric circuit depends upon both the voltage and the current of the circuit. In electrical systems power is measured in '''watts (W)''' A watt is a measure of the energy produced or consumed in one second. Power is also commonly expressed in kW (1 kW = 1000 W) and MW (1 MW = 1,000,000 W) in larger systems. Similarly, if water flowing from the hydraulic system is used to perform work, like spinning a wheel, the power that is used will depend upon both the volume and the pressure of the water supplied. An inefficient load in an electrical system or hydraulic system will consume more power than an efficient one.
+'''Power (P)''' is a measurement of work done in a unit of time. How much electricity is being consumed, which is power, in an electric circuit depends upon both the voltage and the current of the circuit. In electrical systems power is measured in '''watts (W)''' A watt is a measure of the energy produced or consumed in one second. Power is also commonly expressed in kW (1 kW = 1000 W) and MW (1 MW = 1,000,000 W) in larger systems. Similarly, if water flowing from the water system is used to perform work, like spinning a wheel, the power that is used will depend upon both the volume and the pressure of the water supplied. An inefficient load in an electrical system or water system requires more power to function than an efficient one.
 <!--T:23-->
@@ Line 105: / Line 105: @@
 <!--T:27-->
-[[File:Phonecharger.png|thumb|right|All appliances should have a label with their rated power consumption on them. Often times it is in volts and amps rather than watts. You can easily calculate watts from these two values.]]
+[[File:Phonecharger.png|thumb|right|All appliances should have a label with their rated power consumption on them. Often times it is in volts and amps rather than watts. With these two values, you can easily calculate the power (W) for the load.
 <!--T:28-->
@@ Line 111: / Line 111: @@
 <!--T:29-->
-'''Example 1:''' A cell phone is plugged into to charge. It is connected to a 12V battery and there is 1A of current flowing. How much power is being consumed?
+'''Example 1:''' A cell phone is charging. It is connected to a 12V battery and there is 1A of current flowing. How much power is being consumed?
 <!--T:30-->
@@ Line 126: / Line 126: @@
 <!--T:33-->
-'''Example 3:''' A small water pump is being used to fill a tank. The pump is a 440 W pump and there are 2 A of current flowing. What is the voltage of the system?
+'''Example 3:''' A small water pump is being used to fill a tank. It is a 440 W pump and there are 2 A of current flowing. What is the voltage of the system?
 <!--T:34-->
-:*440W = V × 2 A
+:*440 W = V × 2 A
 ::V = 440 W ÷ 2 A
 ::V = 220 V

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 <translate>
 <!--T:1-->
-Electricity is flowing in our bodies to power our hearts, lightning strikes the earth roughly 100 strikes per second<ref name="lightning"> NOAA Lightning Flash Rate. https://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/lightning-flash-rate/</ref>, and much of human productivity and also environmental destruction result from our reliance upon it. Electricity is everywhere, but at the same time there continue to be nearly a billion people without access to electricity globally. The primary issue has always been that electricity was always produced in a few select locations and then distributed out from there in an electrical grid to homes and businesses, which can be very expensive to expand. [[Special:MyLanguage/PV system types|Grid-tied PV systems]] can be used to help reduce the environmental impacts of electricity use and [[Special:MyLanguage/PV system types|stand-alone PV systems]] can help provide energy to areas where the grid doesn’t reach as they are able to produce, store and provide energy in the form of electricity even in the most remote locations.
+Electricity seems to be everwhere: flowing in our bodies to power our hearts, lightning is constantly striking the earth at roughly 100 strikes per second<ref name="lightning"> NOAA Lightning Flash Rate. https://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/lightning-flash-rate/</ref>, and nearly all of the factories and offices in the world use it. But it only seems to be everwhere as there continue to be nearly a billion people without access to electricity globally, primarily rural villages. The primary issue has always been that electricity was always produced in a few select locations and then distributed out from there in a system called the electrical grid to homes and businesses, which can be very expensive to expand. Despite not even reaching everyone on the planet, the electrical grid causes significant environmental damage that affect everyone.
 <!--T:2-->
@@ Line 23: / Line 25: @@
 <!--T:7-->
-Electricity is a force created from the basic building block of all matter - atoms. All atoms are composed of three core components - neutrons (no charge), protons (positive charge) and electrons (negative charge). Out of these three, the only one that is able to freely move from atom to atom is the negatively charged electron. Electrons can build up in higher concentrations in some locations and create a negative charge. Or there can be a lack of electrons, which create a positive charge. Electrons desire to flow from areas of high electron concentration to areas of low electron concentration. Not all atoms or materials have free electrons that can move around easily - most do not like wood, plastic rocks - we call these ''insulators''. Metals and copper are good ''conductors'' as they have abundant free electrons.
+Electricity is a force created from the basic building block of all matter - atoms. All atoms are composed of three core components - neutrons (no charge), protons (positive charge) and electrons (negative charge). Out of these three, the only one that is able to freely move from atom to atom is the negatively charged electron. Electrons can build up in higher concentrations in some locations and create a negative charge. Or there can be a lack of electrons, which create a positive charge. Electrons desire to flow from areas of high electron concentration to areas of low electron concentration. Not all atoms or materials have free electrons that can move around easily such as wood, plastic or rock. We call these ''insulators''. Metals and copper are good ''conductors'' as they have abundant free electrons.
 <!--T:8-->
@@ Line 38: / Line 40: @@
 <!--T:11-->
 Circuits can be in various states:
-*'''Closed:''' connected, on, functioning. A properly connected circuit with a load which has current flowing.
+*'''Closed:''' Connected, on, functioning. A properly connected circuit with a load which has current flowing.
-*'''Open:''' disconnected, off, disabled. A circuit that is not connected or switched off which has no current flowing.
+*'''Open:''' Disconnected, off, disabled. A circuit that is not connected or switched off which has no current flowing.
-*'''Short:''' fault, improper low resistance connection. A circuit that has been improperly built without sufficient resistance - like a load - to constrain the flow of current. A circuit in a short circuit state will allow as much current to flow as possible until the power source is exhausted. If a load is connected in parallel with a short-circuit, like in the diagram, the load may stop functioning due to insufficient voltage/current.
+*'''Short:''' Fault, improper low resistance connection. A circuit that has been improperly built without sufficient resistance - like a load - to constrain the flow of current. A circuit in a short circuit state will allow as much current to flow as possible until the power source is exhausted. If a load is connected in parallel with a short-circuit, like in the diagram, the load may stop functioning due to insufficient voltage/current.
 <gallery widths=250px>
-Closedcircuit.png|'''Closed circuit:'''<br />A properly functioning. Electrons are flowing and the light bulb is lit up.
+Closedcircuit.png|'''Closed circuit:'''<br />An operational circuit. Electrons are flowing and the light bulb is lit up.
 Opencircuit.png|'''Open circuit:'''<br />A circuit that is disconnected - possibly due to a switch - with no electrons flowing.
 Shortcircuit.png|'''Short circuit:'''<br />An improperly functioning circuit with a low-resistance path for current to flow. Voltage drops nearly to zero as electrons take the low resistance path.
@@ Line 50: / Line 52: @@
 <!--T:13-->
-Electricity is almost always invisible, but flowing water enables us to create good comparisons and make the concept understandable. A circuit with a battery - like in the previous graphic - operates at a certain voltage and current, similarly a basic hydraulic system operates with a certain pressure and volume.
+Electricity is almost always invisible, but we can use something that acts similarly - water - to make the concept understandable. A circuit with a battery - like in the previous graphic - operates at a certain voltage and current, similarly a basic system used to transport and store water operates with a certain pressure and volume.
-*The voltage in the electrical circuit is similar to the pressure in the hydraulic system.
+*The voltage an electrical circuit is similar to the pressure in a water system.
-*The current in the electrical circuit is similar to the flow in the hydraulic system.
+*The current an electrical circuit is similar to the flow in a water system.
-*The wires in the electrical circuit and the load create resistance. The pipes and sprinkler in the final graphic also create friction.
+*The wires and load in an electrical circuit create resistance. The pipes and devices that consume water, like a sprinkler, also create friction.
 ===Voltage=== <!--T:14-->
 <!--T:15-->
-Voltage is the force that moves electrons in a circuit and is measured in volts (V). It can be thought of as electrical pressure and in a circuit with a battery the voltage is determined by the amount of energy stored in the battery. Voltage is similar to the pressure created in the hydraulic system. It depends upon the amount of water in the water that it holds.
+Voltage is the force that moves electrons in a circuit and is measured in volts (V). It can be thought of as electrical pressure and in a circuit with a battery the voltage is determined by type of battery and the amount of energy stored in the battery. Voltage is similar to the pressure created in the water system. It depends upon the amount of water in the water that it holds.
 ===Current=== <!--T:16-->
 <!--T:17-->
-Current is the flow of electrons in a circuit and is measured in amperes or amps (A). Current is similar to the volume of water flowing in the hydraulic system. It depends upon the amount of water permitted to flow by the valve and upon the pressure in the system.
+Current is the flow of electrons in a circuit and is measured in amperes or amps (A). Current is similar to the volume of water flowing in the water system. It depends upon the amount of water permitted to flow by the valve and upon the pressure in the system.
 ===Resistance=== <!--T:18-->
 <!--T:19-->
-Resistance (R) is a resistance to current that is present in all materials and all electrical systems and it is measured in Ohms (Ω). If the wires in an electrical circuit are too small for the amount of current that they need to carry, it will create friction and heat. Voltage is lost as a result. Similarly, the pipes through which the water flows in the hydraulic system can create friction if there is too much pressure or volume trying to pass through them.
+Resistance (R) is a force that resists the flow of current, which is present in all materials and all electrical systems. It is measured in Ohms (Ω). If the wires in an electrical circuit are too small for the amount of current that they need to carry, it will create friction and heat. Voltage is lost as a result. Similarly, the pipes through which the water flows in the water system can create friction if there is too much pressure or volume trying to pass through them.
 <!--T:20-->
 <gallery widths=250px>
-File:Pressurevoltage.png|'''Voltage:'''<br /> ''Left -'' A full water tank has a lot of pressure.<br ?>''Right  -'' An empty water tank has no pressure.
+File:Pressurevoltage.png|'''Voltage:'''<br /> ''Left -'' A full water tank has a lot of pressure.<br />''Right  -'' An empty water tank has no pressure.
 File:Volumecurrent.png|'''Current:'''<br />''Left -'' A valve that is completely open allows a high volume of water to flow.<br />''Right  -'' A valve that is nearly shut allows a low volume of water to flow.
-File:Resistancecomparisons.png|'''Resistance:'''<br />''Left'' The valve part way open with a small pipe creating friction and reducing volume.<br />''Right  -'' The valve part way open with a large pipe allowing the volume to easily pass through.
+File:Resistancecomparisons.png|'''Resistance:'''<br />''Left -'' The valve part way open with a small pipe creating friction and reducing volume.<br />''Right  -'' The valve part way open with a large pipe allowing the volume to easily pass through.
 </gallery>

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 <languages />
 <translate>
-Electricity is flowing in our bodies to power our hearts, lightning strikes the earth roughly 100 strikes per second<ref name="lightning"> NOAA Lightning Flash Rate. https://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/lightning-flash-rate/</ref>, and much of human productivity and also environmental destruction result from our reliance upon it. Electricity is everywhere, but at the same time there continue to be nearly a billion people without access to electricity globally. The primary issue has always been that electricity was always produced in a few select locations and then distributed out from there in an electrical grid to homes and businesses, which can be very expensive to expand. [[PV system types|Grid-tied PV systems]] can be used to help reduce the environmental impacts of electricity use and [[PV system types|stand-alone PV systems]] can help provide energy to areas where the grid doesn’t reach as they are able to produce, store and provide energy in the form of electricity even in the most remote locations.
+Electricity is flowing in our bodies to power our hearts, lightning strikes the earth roughly 100 strikes per second<ref name="lightning"> NOAA Lightning Flash Rate. https://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/lightning-flash-rate/</ref>, and much of human productivity and also environmental destruction result from our reliance upon it. Electricity is everywhere, but at the same time there continue to be nearly a billion people without access to electricity globally. The primary issue has always been that electricity was always produced in a few select locations and then distributed out from there in an electrical grid to homes and businesses, which can be very expensive to expand. [[Special:MyLanguage/PV system types|Grid-tied PV systems]] can be used to help reduce the environmental impacts of electricity use and [[Special:MyLanguage/PV system types|stand-alone PV systems]] can help provide energy to areas where the grid doesn’t reach as they are able to produce, store and provide energy in the form of electricity even in the most remote locations.
 [[File:Grid.png|frame|center|''Right -'' Most power grids rely on centralized forms of generation (coal, natural gas, nuclear, large scale hydro to produce electricity that is distributed to homes through the transmission and distribution lines.<br />''Left -'' Off-grid PV systems are independent of this system.]]
@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 ==Circuits==
 Static electricity and lightning are not useful to humanity as they are not in controlled systems. Electricity needs to be contained within an electrical system comprised of circuits for it to be used properly and safely. A basic electrical circuit is a closed loop built out of the following:
 . An energy source that has or can create an imbalance of electrons between to two points, which is voltage.
@@ Line 45: / Line 46: @@
 ===Voltage===
 Voltage is the force that moves electrons in a circuit and is measured in volts (V). It can be thought of as electrical pressure and in a circuit with a battery the voltage is determined by the amount of energy stored in the battery. Voltage is similar to the pressure created in the hydraulic system. It depends upon the amount of water in the water that it holds.
 ===Current===
 Current is the flow of electrons in a circuit and is measured in amperes or amps (A). Current is similar to the volume of water flowing in the hydraulic system. It depends upon the amount of water permitted to flow by the valve and upon the pressure in the system.
 ===Resistance===
 Resistance (R) is a resistance to current that is present in all materials and all electrical systems and it is measured in Ohms (Ω). If the wires in an electrical circuit are too small for the amount of current that they need to carry, it will create friction and heat. Voltage is lost as a result. Similarly, the pipes through which the water flows in the hydraulic system can create friction if there is too much pressure or volume trying to pass through them.
@@ Line 60: / Line 64: @@
 ==Power: watts==
 '''Power (P)''' is a measurement of work done in a unit of time. How much electricity is being consumed, which is power, in an electric circuit depends upon both the voltage and the current of the circuit. In electrical systems power is measured in '''watts (W)''' A watt is a measure of the energy produced or consumed in one second. Power is also commonly expressed in kW (1 kW = 1000 W) and MW (1 MW = 1,000,000 W) in larger systems. Similarly, if water flowing from the hydraulic system is used to perform work, like spinning a wheel, the power that is used will depend upon both the volume and the pressure of the water supplied. An inefficient load in an electrical system or hydraulic system will consume more power than an efficient one.
@@ Line 100: / Line 105: @@
 ==Energy: watt-hours==
 [[File:Meter.png|thumb|right|200px|A typical electricity meter for a grid connection. Most meters measure energy in kWh. If you are connected to the grid, you will be charged a price per kWh consumed.]]
 Power is a quick look at how much energy is being consumed or produced. For an electrical system this is an important value, but it is equally important to understand power consumption over time. Energy consumption over time is measured in watt-hours (Wh) or kilo-watt-hours (kWh). A watt-hour is the consumption of 1W of power for 1 hour. The formula for calculating Watt-hours is simple:

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Category:Basic concepts]]
 Electricity is flowing in our bodies to power our hearts, lightning strikes the earth roughly 100 strikes per second<ref name="lightning"> NOAA Lightning Flash Rate. https://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/lightning-flash-rate/</ref>, and much of human productivity and also environmental destruction result from our reliance upon it. Electricity is everywhere, but at the same time there continue to be nearly a billion people without access to electricity globally. The primary issue has always been that electricity was always produced in a few select locations and then distributed out from there in an electrical grid to homes and businesses, which can be very expensive to expand. [[PV system types|Grid-tied PV systems]] can be used to help reduce the environmental impacts of electricity use and [[PV system types|stand-alone PV systems]] can help provide energy to areas where the grid doesn’t reach as they are able to produce, store and provide energy in the form of electricity even in the most remote locations.
@@ Line 117: / Line 119: @@
 == Notes ==
 <references/>

@@ Line 69: / Line 69: @@
 {| class="wikitable" border=1 style="width: 60%;"
 ! style="width: 30%"|Power (P)
-! style="text-align:left;"| = Voltage (V) × Current (I)
+! style="text-align:left;"| = voltage (V) × current (I)
 |}
@@ Line 103: / Line 103: @@
 {| class="wikitable" border=1 style="width: 60%;"
 ! style="width: 30%"|Watt-hours (Wh)
-! style="text-align:left;"| = Power (P) × Time in hours (t)
+! style="text-align:left;"| = power (P) × time in hours (t)
 |}
 *Time in hours can be a fraction or percentage if necessary.

@@ Line 67: / Line 67: @@
 The formula for calculating power in an electrical system is:
-'''Power (P) = Voltage (V) × Current (I)'''
+{| class="wikitable" border=1 style="width: 60%;"
 The same amount of power can be generated with by using varying amounts of voltage and current. For example:
@@ Line 98: / Line 101: @@
 Power is a quick look at how much energy is being consumed or produced. For an electrical system this is an important value, but it is equally important to understand power consumption over time. Energy consumption over time is measured in watt-hours (Wh) or kilo-watt-hours (kWh). A watt-hour is the consumption of 1W of power for 1 hour. The formula for calculating Watt-hours is simple:
-'''Watt-hours (Wh) = Power (P) × Time in hours (t)'''
+{| class="wikitable" border=1 style="width: 60%;"
 *Time in hours can be a fraction or percentage if necessary.
 '''Example 1:''' A radio is plugged in and plays music for 3 hours. The radio says on the back that it consumes 7 W of power.